Letters to the Editor July 23, 2013

Del Norte Triplicate Readers

Published Jul 24, 2013 at 05:26PM / Updated Feb 13, 2016 at 06:24PM

Let go of the past and stick with Sutter Health

I have worked in health care for 41 years, the majority of this time as a manager or director of diagnostic imaging departments. Nine years ago I relocated from the San Francisco East Bay to Crescent City, taking a position as the director of diagnostic imaging at Sutter Coast Hospital.

There were numerous reasons why I chose to relocate to Crescent City: the ocean, the climate, no mass of people or traffic, but the biggest reason was because I was still able to work in a profession I loved and continue to be a part of Sutter Health. Sutter Coast is the fourth acute care hospital that I have worked for. I have also worked for Los Medanos Community Hospital (a small district hospital) in Pittsburg, Calif., Children's Hospital in Oakland and Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch.

I worked for Los Medanos Community Hospital for 21 years. Los Medanos was an independent facility that eventually declared bankruptcy. When the hospital closed, it left 600-plus employees jobless, with many losing all or most of our pensions. Los Medanos closed because it did not have the vision to affiliate with a strong partner, and when it finally tried it was too late and no one was willing to take on such a mess. That all happened around the time that Seaside Hospital in Crescent City made a decision to affiliate with Sutter Health.

Health care has been a very difficult industry to survive in ever since the early '80s, when the federal and state governments started reducing reimbursement, and this will only become more difficult in the next 10 years.

I have been at Sutter Coast for nine years and have seen many patients leave our area for care elsewhere, some because they needed a higher level of care, others because it was their choice and others because there were not providers that would accept them.

Like other large organizations, Sutter Health is not perfect; however, I honestly believe it is the best partner that we could have.

Since I have been at Sutter Coast,the diagnostic imaging department alone has benefited from more than $20 in state-of-the-art equipment. Networking within Sutter Health system has always provided a vast wealth of knowledge and resources.

Now is the time to let go of the past and look toward the future. Without Sutter Health, the future could be very bleak.

Phil Revetta, Smith River

Sad farewell and bon voyage to publisher

I was sad to hear that Michele Postal is retiring as publisher; I looked forward to her columns and I admired her tireless commitment to our community.

I know she will enjoy spending more time with her beautiful grandchildren. Thank you Michele! Bon Voyage!